Reuben a



(No Model.)

R. A.`MESSERVEY.

REFRIGERATOR.

Patented May 2, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

REUBEN A. MESSERVEY, OF MEDFORD, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND` MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN M. VATSON, TRUSTEE, OF BROOKLINE, MASS.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,361, dated May 2", 1.882. Application filed February 6, ISEE. (Xo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, REUBEN A. MEssERVEY, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 5 Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class ot' refrigerators in which a circulation of air in a preserving-chamber is maintained by the employio ment in a suitable part of the chamber of vertical air-passages communicating at their upper and lower ends with the chamber, and having their walls cooled by contact with a refrigerant contained in tanks or receptacles, the warm air from the top of the chamber entering the upper ends of such passages becoming cooled therein and passing from the lower ends ot the passages to the lower portion of the chamber.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the construction of the tanks or receptacles for the refrigerant, whereby when two of said tanks are placed together S-shaped or tortuous vertical air-passages will be formed between them, having a large extent of surface cooled by the refri gerant without encroaching materially on the spacefor containing the refrigerant. To this end the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed'to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of a preservingchamber having my improved tanks. Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical section on line new, Fig. l. Fig.3 represents a horizontal sectiononlineyg/,Fig 1. Fig. a represents an enlarged vertical section of one of the tanks. Fig. 5 represents a section on line a z, Fig. et. Fig. 6 represents a bottom view of one of the tanks.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents a preservingchamber, which may be a car or a fixed apartment of any suitable construction.

B B BB represent my improved tanks, which are arranged side by side in contact with each other in any suitable part of the chamber A, in this instance at one end. Each tank has 5o two corrugated or wavy sides, S S', which are so formed that when two tanks are placed togethcr said sides will, cooperate in forming'a narrow air-passage, C, which is S-shaped or tortuous in cross-section, having substantially parallel curved sides in somewhat close proximity to each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The tanks are contracted in width at their upper ends, the contracted portions passing through the top ot' the chamber, as shown in Fig. 2, and forming spaces C', through which warm 6c air can pass from the upper portion ot` the chaniberAintothepassagesO. The tauksrest upon suitable supports, D, elevated above the bottom of the chamber, so that spaces O2 are afforded for the passage of cold air from the 6 5 passages O into the lower portion ofthe chamber. The corrugated sides of the tanks B are preferably inclined inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the passages C are gradually increased in width from their upper to their 7o lower ends. The body of each' tank is composed preferably ot galvanized sheet-iron. The Vtop T is composed of cast-iron,I having a groove, U, which receives the upper end ofthe body ot the tank, as shown in Fig. 4. The bottom of the tank has two transverse cleats, J J, which are connected to the top T by vertical rods L, extending from top to bottom ot' v the tank, near the corners thereof. The top of each tank is provided outside of the chamber 8o with a suitable cover.V

Among the advantages secured by the S- shaped sides of my improved tank over others are the following: Itis much more easily lled than a tank containing an air pipe or passage inclosed within the tank, or one having semicircular corrugations, and the ice or refrigerating mixture lies more closely in contact with the walls of the air-passages. By the parallel arrangement of the Sshapcd sides of the pasgo sages a large extent of cooling-surface is obtained without -encroaching on the interior of the tanks to any material extent. The form of the air-passages in cross-section, each elongated transversely and having its curved sides 9 5 comparatively close to each other, enables a large volume of air to pass through each passage, and keeps the air in close contact with the cooling-surface d uring its entire passage.

In a round tube or passage of the same ca- Ico pacity the center of the column of air would derive comparatively little benefit from the cooling-surface, on accountofits distance therefrom; but with the improved form all portions of the column are acted on alike.

I prefer to provide the outer and inner sides of the tanks B with coverings of wood or other non-conductor, V, extending the whole, or a part ofthe distance from the bottom to the top of the'tanks.

I claim- 1. In va refrigerator, a series of tanks or receptacles formed, as described, on theirapproximate surfaces, whereby when the tanks are placed in contact with each other said proximate surfaces will form narrow parallel-sided S-shaped vertical air-passages, the entire surfaces of which are cooled by the refrigerant in the tanks, as set forth.

2. In a. refrigerator, the tanks or receptacles having S-shaped or tortuous air-passages between their proximate sides, contracted upper ends projecting through the top of the refrigerator, and spaces between said contracted upper ends connecting said air-passages with the upper portion-'of `the preserving-chamber, as set forth.

. 3. The improved tank composed ot' the castmetal top T, having a groove, U, the sheetmetal body having its upper endrcontained in said groove, and the bottom cleats connected to the top by vertical rods, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of Jai'iuary, A. D. 1882.

REUBEN A. MESSERVEY.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL W. J oHNsoN, C. F. BROWN. 

